1. 1 ICT, the Economy and Society -- Challenges of Measurement and Analysis WSIS Thematic Meeting on Measuring the Information Society Geneva, 7-9 Feb. 2005 John Dryden, OECD

2. 2 Outline The ICT sector and its relationship to economic growth and social development Need for ICT statistics, monitoring and the OECD experience of measuring and analysing ICT New policy challenges – challenges for statistical development The Partnership and its objectives What we hope to achieve at the meeting WSIS and beyond – the Action Plan and the next phase

3. 3 The new economy and economic performance The “determinants of growth” in the 1990s Is there a “new economy”? – the Growth Study The impact of ICT at macro level was recognised “Beyond the Hype” The Economic Impact of ICT: Measurement, Evidence and Implications WSIS Thematic Meeting on the Economic and Social Implications of ICT (Guatemala)

4. 4 The rationale for ICT statistics Early analysis of policy challenges posed by IS not quantitative Statistical work -- mainly supply side, mainly private sector sources Emergence of the information society and digital economy; the Internet, electronic commerce, the GII and the GIS. ICTs start to attract attention of policy makers at highest level Creation of the Working Party on Indicators for the IS at the OECD –Definitions, methodologies, core questions, international comparability, link to policy priorities and quantitative analysis

5. 5 Measuring the sector and the infrastructure OECD definition of the ICT sector OECD definition of ICT goods Statistics of telecommunications operators Surveys of the use of ICT in households/by individuals and in businesses Many challenges still

6. 6 New policy challenges -- new challenges for measurement and analysis As information society matures, our ability to measure must: –Advance beyond statistics of readiness –Increase our understanding of intensity and nature of use –Grasp the impact of ICT on the economy and society –Some indicators already less useful (saturation) Go beyond the economy into society and culture (convergence and content) –E-government and government-citizen interaction –Human capital, skills requirements (what are they?), labour markets and mobility –ICT is at the root of “knowledge-based economies” Much remains to be done (measurement problems) in the service industries

7. 7 OECD – ODA donors and developing countries DAC / POVNET –ODA data –ICT and economic growth, poverty reduction and the MDGs PARIS 21 –Promotes development of national sgtatistical systems in developing couintries –Improve governance and government effectiveness in achieving the MDGs –National Strategy for Development of Statistics –Home produced data for MDGs by 2010 –Documentation, advocacy, design guide, etc.

8. 8 Role of Partnership Help developing countries benefiting from ICT Need for monitoring December 2003 event Need for co-operation among agencies Forming of Partnership Objectives of Partnership

9. 9 Objectives of the meeting Stocktaking Adoption of core indicator list Diffusion of methodology Action plan for capacity building Link to MDGs

10. 10 John Dryden Deputy Director for Science Technology and Industry, OECD john.dryden@oecd.org www.oecd.org